Steele Holding You In My Heart
by GoddessofSnark
Summary: Laura gets the closure she needs after her father....well, just read it! Inspired by the song I Will Always Hold You IN My Heart


I sat at the small bar, gently sipping away at the glass at my elbow. The familiar liquid burned it's trail down my throat to my stomach. I reread the newspaper article that I had snipped from the paper, and grinned one of those "you wouldn't be grinning if you were sober" grins. I was happy for her, I truly was.  
  
She was the only thing I had to be happy about. I was a miserable excuse of a man. A miserable old miser, with nothing left to live for. Everything I had stayed behind when I walked on. The bar seemed even more depressing, almost to mirror my mood.  
  
It was one of those dingy downtown dives. A lowly lowlife bar. The kind of place that was filled with the scum of the earth. The kind of place that was filled with people like me. I pushed a lock of hair away from my face, and stared at the two thing in front of me. The newspaper article, and a photo.  
  
A photo of a young girl, she was barely 13 when I took that photo. They're she was, happy as she always was. Lauging, hanging off of a tree branch. Abby always "tsk-tsked" when I let her do something reckless like that. But she had fun. I didn't care about safty, or what could happen, and it seemed that she didn't either.  
  
I knew that I wrecked her life. I still loved her, I really did. I never meant to hurt HER. But I couldn't stand it anymore. I was a free spirit. But that was always my downfall. My free spirit forced me away. And I hurt everyone in my wake.  
  
I got up from the bar, and walked out. I went back to my old rundown apartment. I went into the bedroom, and pulled out the familiar blue metal. It clicked back, louder than it ever had. My hands were shaking, but it had to be done. It would not only give me closure, but would perhaps give her closure as well.  
  
I raised it once, and then dropped my hand out of nerves. I shook my head, to clear my brain, and raised the gun again, with a steadier hand. With my free hand, I quickly scrawled out a note, before my finger tightened on the trigger. The last thing I heard was a sharp, extremely loud bang, and all went black.  
  
Pt 2 *******************  
  
She leaned against the door, a little to shocked to do much more than look. So this was it. This was where he was the entire time. She moved to her feet, and looked around. There was the familiar cornoer, sealing off the body bag. At least this time they didn't have to worry about disturbing evidence.  
  
She felt him come up behind her, a welcome form. She grabbed his hand, and he placed his other hand around her shoulders. She looked down at the bed, with the blood stained sheets, and felt the tears burning in her eyes.  
  
How could a man that she thought that she despised evoke such an emotion in her? She hated him. she had really hated him. but now that she was looking at where he died, she couldn't help but start to cry. It was so dingy, not the place that she imagined he would've lived.  
  
The man behind her gently rubbed her back, soothing her ever so slightly. She leaned her head back and smiled at him. He patted her shoulder. "You don't have to stay." He told her, not wanting her to go through more than she had to.  
  
"It's ok, I want to be here. It's closure." She said, breaking from his grip so that she could explore the bedroom. There wasn't much. A few outfits in the closet, a watch and cufflinks in the nightstand, along with something much more interesting. A photo album.  
  
She flipped through it, and found it to be photos of her and her family, centering around her. Photographs taken from all different parts of her life. From when she was little, up until she was 16. After that, the photos started to get scarecer, with various pictures taken from newspapers and magazines.  
  
She was about to replace the small leather bound book when she noticed a piece of paper sticking out of it. She pulled it out, and gently read it over, and felt the tears start streaming.  
  
"By the time anyone reads this, it'll be to late for me. I did this for the best. I did this for my children, especially for Laura. I never knew how far I'd fallen, until I realized that I'd thrown her love away. I hope that this gives her closure. Laura, put your thoughts of me behind you, go on with your life, be happy. Just remember that I'll always hold you, and Francis, and your mother in my heart. You always meant the world to me. TCH"  
  
He snuck up behind her and gently laid his arm around her waist. She looked up at him through tear-stained eyes and kissed him, knowing that this chapter of her life was over. 


End file.
